Last week, Lt. Governor Angelle announced a plan by which BP funding in the amount of $15 million would be shared by coastal parishes over an 18-month period. That negotiation was a dramatic departure from the original $6 million offered to the parishes for tourism loss mitigation over a three-year period.

Said Mickal, “The Lt. Governor should be commended for his unique understanding and relentless work on behalf of our coastal parishes. Due to his tireless effort, the coastal parishes will have a real opportunity to strengthen their nature-based tourism efforts and restore tourism to the coastal parishes.”

The LTCC is comprised of the ten parishes on the coast of Louisiana including: Calcasieu/Cameron, Iberia, Jefferson, Lafourche, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Terrebonne, and Vermilion.

The Lt. Governor divided funding into three areas of interest. Noted Mickal, “Lt. Governor Angelle had the foresight to divide funding into coastal tourism response, nature-based tourism marketing and event marketing for each of the parishes. That will help focus the parish leaders on the areas in which they should dedicate funding and attention. It will also help restore festivals and tournaments impacted by the spill as well as create new festivals that will attract more visitors to our coast. We are very pleased with the outcome of the negotiations, and we look forward to assisting our parish leaders with their planning and tourism marketing strategies.”

Landrieu’s Small Business

On November 30, at the New Orleans Marriot Hotel, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu will hold the first summit on economic opportunities for local businesses, “People of New Orleans Rebuilding New Orleans.” The summit will focus on results-oriented business education for current small business owners. Mayor Landrieu will hold this summit after coming off of a business development and philanthropic development mission to New York and announcing a $20 Million investment in New Orleans small businesses by Goldman Sachs. Registration is available at http://www.regonline.com/Register/Checkin.aspx?EventID=910053.

Statewide Housing

The Louisiana Housing Finance Agency recently released the results of a Statewide Housing Needs Assessment. The data included in that report will hopefully prompt action on housing programs and developments that are either stalled or in danger. The report can be found on the agency’s website at: http://www.lhfa.state.la.us/aboutus/NeedsAssessment.php.

The Federal Interagency Solutions Group, established at the request of the U.S. Coast Guard and authorized under a directive from the National Incident Commander (NIC), is releasing today a peer-reviewed report that details the scientific calculations of the Deepwater Horizon BP Oil Spill “Oil Budget Calculator” response tool announced last August. The report, developed in collaboration with federal and independent scientists and following an extensive review of the initial findings, revises as necessary the estimated short-term fate of the oil discharged from the wellhead through mid-July when the well was capped.

The Oil Budget Calculator’s purpose was to describe the short-term fate of the oil and to guide immediate efforts to respond to the emergency. It does not provide information about the impact of the oil, nor indicate where the oil is now. The Oil Budget Calculator uses collected or reported data, such as the amount captured at the wellhead, combined with model-projected estimates based on historical oil spill data for similar types of oil, as well as the expertise and observations of oil- and oil spill-response scientists from government agencies, academia and the energy industry.

Louisiana Academy of Family PhysiciansThe Louisiana Academy of Family Physicians (LAFP) has joined the Coalition to Protect Louisiana’s Healthcare. LAFP is one of the state’s largest primary care organizations, with more than 1,500 member physicians, residents and medical students throughout Louisiana.

“Family physicians have always been committed to providing healthcare for all, regardless of payor status,” said LAFP President Dr. Alan LeBato. “The LAFP has deep concerns about the changes to the Community Care Program and is opposed to the current proposal of Coordinated Care Networks. We want to make sure Louisiana residents, especially those covered by Medicaid, have access to a primary care physician and preventative care. By eliminating the adult population from this program, patients will have less access to a medical home and health care costs will only increase because patients will seek care in emergency rooms more often.”

“We appreciate the opportunity to work with the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals and encourage open dialogue between DHH and the provider community to reform the Medicaid health care delivery system,” explains Ragan LeBlanc, LAFP executive vice president/director. “The LAFP supports the coalition's efforts to develop a plan that will improve the delivery of health care services, provide more affordable care and ensure better access. We are proud to be a member of the Coalition to Protect Louisiana’s Healthcare. Working through the Coalition, we can develop a ‘Louisiana model’ of health care that provides cost effective, patient-centered care to patients.”

In October, the Louisiana Ambulance Alliance, Louisiana Hospital Association, Louisiana State Medical Society, MedicineLouisiana and the Metropolitan Hospital Council of New Orleans formed the Coalition to Protect Louisiana’s Healthcare with the mission to protect healthcare services for the state’s most vulnerable patients. This month, the Louisiana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Louisiana Academy of Family Physicians joined the Coalition. Representing tens of thousands of direct caregivers and healthcare employees throughout Louisiana, the Coalition is deeply concerned about the recent and future cuts to Medicaid and DHHs’ original proposal for Coordinated Care Networks, which was developed too quickly and without input from the healthcare provider community, the legislature or other stakeholders.

On Nov. 5, the Coalition released recommendations for short, medium and long-term budget relief so that healthcare providers can continue to provide access to quality care to Medicaid patients. Specifically, the Coalition recommended using the extended Federal Medical Assistance Percentage, also known as FMAP, this state fiscal year to maximize enhanced federal matching funds; accelerating the use of financial mechanisms, such as the Upper Payment Limit program and Certified Public Expenditures; and exploring alternative funding sources currently being utilized and expanded in other states. The Coalition is also actively working on an alternative model of patient-centered, coordinated care for consideration by DHH and the legislature that will not only put the patient first, but will also lead to cost-savings for the state.

, identifies and promotes quality of care, and addresses policy issues related to ambulance and air transportation services.